Woo Chia-wei

<h2 id="education-and-academia">Education and academia</h2>
<p>Born in Shanghai in 1937, Woo received his secondary education from <a href="/facts/Pui_Ching_Middle_School/dRVVHo8A">Pui Ching Middle School</a> in Hong Kong and went to the US in 1955, where he acquired his BS degree in Physics/Mathematics at <a href="/facts/Georgetown_College/20GhpH9q">Georgetown College</a> in Kentucky, and his MA degree in Physics at <a href="/facts/Washington_University_in_St._Louis/GmIT8zU6">Washington University in St. Louis</a>. He went on to pursue his PhD at <a href="/facts/Washington_University_in_St._Louis/GmIT8zU6">Washington University in St. Louis</a> under <a href="/facts/Eugene_Feenberg/tRHWMUQa">Eugene Feenberg</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> Later, he taught at <a href="/facts/Northwestern_University/4dunJHBf">Northwestern University</a> and at <a href="/facts/University_of_Illinois_system/7DCkFWzV">the University of Illinois</a>, served as Northwestern's chairman, Physics and Astronomy Department, then as Provost, <a href="/facts/Roger_Revelle_College/dJGxvHfl">Revelle College, U.C. San Diego</a> (where he had pursued <a href="/facts/Postdoctoral_researcher/uGIGIC1X">post-doctoral</a> work). In 1983, at the age of 45, he became president of <a href="/facts/San_Francisco_State_University/QEkJzEGL">San Francisco State University</a>, the first Chinese American to head a major university in the United States.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
</p><p>From 1964, Woo published 120 papers and books in various fields of physics, particularly in quantum <a href="/facts/Many-body_theory/uoMIVD3E">many-body theory</a>, <a href="/facts/Statistical_mechanics/6zMsNYYG">statistical mechanics</a>, <a href="/facts/Liquid_crystal/ehCCST89">liquid crystals</a>, <a href="/facts/Absolute_zero/U3UyPl2K">low temperature physics</a>, and <a href="/facts/Surface_chemistry/WTENdutJ">surface physics</a>.
</p>
<h2 id="political-career">Political career</h2>
<p>Woo served on Hong Kong Government's Industry and Technology Development Council and the Board of Overseers for the Institutes of Biotechnology, and was appointed by the Municipal Government of Shenzhen as Senior Adviser. He served on governing and advisory boards of the Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong, the Shanghai-Hong Kong Council for the Promotion and Development of Yangtze, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fudan University, Hua Qiao University, Zhongguancun Science Park (Advisory Committee), Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (Pakistan), World Scientific Publishing Company (Singapore), and <a href="/facts/China_Europe_International_Business_School/xQtjwnHj">China Europe International Business School</a>.
</p><p>From 1993–96, he was appointed by the Chinese government, first as a <a href="/facts/Hong_Kong_Affairs_Adviser/ANCXWxAC">Hong Kong Affairs Adviser</a>, then a Member of the <a href="/facts/Preliminary_Working_Committee/vIQ61I6P">Preliminary Working Committee</a>, and then a Member of the <a href="/facts/Preparatory_Committee_for_the_Hong_Kong_Special_Administrative_Region/kx23oXzr">Preparatory Committee</a>, and was elected to the <a href="/facts/Selection_Committee_(Hong_Kong)/jwLV4h0d">Selection Committee</a> for the HKSAR.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> He was appointed in 1998 to the Commission on Strategic Development of the HKSAR and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 2000, he was appointed to the Council of Advisers on Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR, and as Chairman of the Committee on Hong Kong – Mainland Technological Collaboration. He spoke multiple times at the World Economic Forum in <a href="/facts/Davos%2c_Switzerland/LK2SAtN4">Davos, Switzerland</a>.
</p>
<h2 id="death">Death</h2>
<p>Woo died in San Francisco, California on 2 March 2025, at the age of 87.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a>
</p>
<h2 id="honours-and-awards">Honours and awards</h2>
<p>Woo received many honours and awards for professional achievement and civic contribution, including Fellowships of the <a href="/facts/American_Physical_Society/DCkkU6dD">American Physical Society</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> and the <a href="/facts/California_Academy_of_Sciences/P976HtIM">California Academy of Sciences</a>; the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; Honorary Professorships at <a href="/facts/Fudan_University/hUdkzJBg">Fudan University</a>, <a href="/facts/Chinese_Academy_of_Sciences/zzHb3yVm">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> (Institute of Physics), <a href="/facts/Shenzhen_University/zxhuL5QV">Shenzhen University</a>, and <a href="/facts/Peking_University/ga4y8dSe">Peking University</a>; the <a href="/facts/Eleanor_Roosevelt/CoA36V6u">Eleanor Roosevelt</a> Humanitarian Award by the United Nations Association; the Golden Key of the City of San Francisco; <i>Chia-Wei Woo Day</i> was declared by the <a href="/facts/Mayor_of_San_Francisco/X3RNHRLB">Mayor of San Francisco</a>.
</p><p>He was National President of the National Association of Chinese-Americans during 1984–86. He was the US China Olympics Liaison for the <a href="/facts/1984_Summer_Olympics/D6aQ54dF">1984 Summer Olympics</a>, held in Los Angeles. In 1991, he received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, <a href="/facts/Washington_University_in_St._Louis/GmIT8zU6">Washington University</a>.
</p><p>In 1995, Woo received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Georgetown College, and was named an Honorary Citizen by the Municipal Government of <a href="/facts/Shenzhen/B8rnXRf8">Shenzhen</a>. In 1996, he received a Distinguished International Service Award from <a href="/facts/Minnesota_Golden_Gophers/rJRGe6PB">the University of Minnesota</a> and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Washington University; and was appointed a <a href="/facts/Commander_of_the_Most_Excellent_Order_of_the_British_Empire/HlY9buuN">Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire</a> (CBE) by <a href="/facts/Queen_Elizabeth_II/os6eB47B">Queen Elizabeth II</a>. In 2000, he was awarded the <a href="/facts/Gold_Bauhinia_Star/JJYrmL7m">Gold Bauhinia Star</a> by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In 2001, he was awarded "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the President of the French Republic.
</p>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Financial Times of London ratings <a href="http://www.bm.ust.hk/mba" target="_blank">http://www.bm.ust.hk/mba</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Woo, Chia-wei (1966). Theory of the normal ground state of liquid helium three (Ph.D.). Washington University in St. Louis. OCLC 26140867 – via ProQuest. <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/302213832/" target="_blank">https://www.proquest.com/docview/302213832/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"The Legacy of Eugene Feenberg at the Centenary of his Birth" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2013. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090352/http://physics.wustl.edu/nd/docs/feenbergBio.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090352/http://physics.wustl.edu/nd/docs/feenbergBio.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Centennial Historical Presidents". San Francisco State University. 20 March 2009. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. <a href="https://www.sfsu.edu/~100years/history/woo.htm" target="_blank">https://www.sfsu.edu/~100years/history/woo.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa — Professor Chia-Wei WOO — Citation" (PDF). Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2020. <a href="https://ccss.ust.hk/sites/default/files/HonDoc_Citations/2008_WOO_Chia-Wei.pdf" target="_blank">https://ccss.ust.hk/sites/default/files/HonDoc_Citations/2008_WOO_Chia-Wei.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>林遠航 (4 March 2025). "科大創校校長吳家瑋周日離世 享年87歲 校方讚為校奠下堅實基礎". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 4 March 2025. <a href="https://www.hk01.com/%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/60216493/%E7%A7%91%E5%A4%A7%E5%89%B5%E6%A0%A1%E6%A0%A1%E9%95%B7%E5%90%B3%E5%AE%B6%E7%91%8B%E5%91%A8%E6%97%A5%E9%9B%A2%E4%B8%96-%E4%BA%AB%E5%B9%B487%E6%AD%B2-%E6%A0%A1%E6%96%B9%E8%AE%9A%E7%82%BA%E6%A0%A1%E5%A5%A0%E4%B8%8B%E5%A0%85%E5%AF%A6%E5%9F%BA%E7%A4%8E" target="_blank">https://www.hk01.com/%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/60216493/%E7%A7%91%E5%A4%A7%E5%89%B5%E6%A0%A1%E6%A0%A1%E9%95%B7%E5%90%B3%E5%AE%B6%E7%91%8B%E5%91%A8%E6%97%A5%E9%9B%A2%E4%B8%96-%E4%BA%AB%E5%B9%B487%E6%AD%B2-%E6%A0%A1%E6%96%B9%E8%AE%9A%E7%82%BA%E6%A0%A1%E5%A5%A0%E4%B8%8B%E5%A0%85%E5%AF%A6%E5%9F%BA%E7%A4%8E</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>"APS fellow archive". American Physical Society. Retrieved 11 September 2023. <a href="https://aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm?initial=W&year=&unit_id=&institution=" target="_blank">https://aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm?initial=W&year=&unit_id=&institution=</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Woo Chia-wei open-in-new

Woo Chia-wei